Todd M. Jones, PhD
Assistant Research Biologist
Conservation Science of Military Landscapes
Archbold Biological Station
Age and Diel Patterns of Fledging in Songbirds
I'm interested in when, how, and why young birds leave the nest, and the consequences of the age and timing of fledging with regards to parental and offspring fitness. Past research on fledging in songbirds suggests that nest mortality risk plays a large role, but the role of parent-offspring conflict remains understudied, unclear, and controversial.
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As a graduate research assistant, I conducted research investigating the age and diel patterns of fledging across a songbird community of east-central Illinois, USA. More specifically, I spearheaded a collaborative effort with eight different research groups, where we looked at differences in juvenile and brood survival across the nesting and post-fledging period to gain a greater understanding of why songbirds leave their nests at younger ages. In 2020, I deployed nest cameras to test for drivers of and characterize diel patterns of fledging across songbird species. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher, I'm collaborating with scientists from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Cornell Lab of Ornithology to examine associations between diel patterns of fledging and environmental change brought on by urbanization.
Associated Publications:
Jones, T. M., S. J. Chiavacci, T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. In press. Nesting and post-fledging predation risk influence diel patterns of songbird fledging. Ibis.
Jones, T. M., L. J. Kearns, and A. D. Rodewald. 2023. Anthropogenic light pollution is associated with diel patterns of fledging in an urban adapted songbird. Urban Ecosystems 26: 1651-1658.
Jones, T. M., J. D. Brawn, I. J. Ausprey, A. C. Vitz, A. D. Rodewald, D. W. Raybuck, T. J. Boves, C. J. Fiss, D. J. McNeil, S. H. Stoleson, J. L. Larking, W. A. Cox, A. C. Schwarzer, N. P. Horsley, E. M. Trumbo, and M. P. Ward. 2020. Parental benefits and offspring costs reflect parent-offspring conflict over the age of fledging among songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 117: 30539-30546.
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